AP Latin
English Readings: Aeneid
Note: These questions were created by Mr. Drew Lasater, Latin teacher at Mountain Brook High School in
Birmingham, AL. He is a mentor and a friend, and I am very grateful for these materials, and the help he
has given me in the AP planning process. I hope you enjoy!
Answer the following questions as you read the English of the Aeneid, book 1.
In case you do not have a copy of the Aeneid in English, here are a couple of links to good ones. There are
plenty more out there, but these are readily available. The best for understanding Vergil is perhaps
Mendelbaum’s translation, which you can only get in print.
 A.S. Kline, 2002: http://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/VirgilAeneidI.htm
 H.R. Fairclough, 1916: http://www.theoi.com/Text/VirgilAeneid1.html
 John Dryden, 1909: http://classics.mit.edu/Virgil/aeneid.html
1.
How does Vergil begin the story? What is the theme? (1-33)
2.
What is Juno’s attitude towards the Trojans? What reasons are given?
3.
How does Juno get Aeolus to cooperate with her?
4.
Describe Aeneas when we first see him.
5.
Who calms the storm?
6.
Where do the Trojans land?
7.
What does Aeneas do when they land? (This reflects his character.)
8.
Aeneas’ speech to his men is different than his prayer in the storm. How?
9.
How many ships does Aeneas think he has lost?
10.
In the scene in the heavens, what does Venus complain to Jupiter about? How does Jupiter
respond?
11.
What is Mercury’s task in lines 297-304 (of the Latin)?
12.
The first person Aeneas and Faithful Achates meet in their scouting mission is ___ . What does she
look like?
13.
What kind of conversation do Aeneas and the person in #12 have?
14.
What does the person from #12 do to Aeneas and Achates as they depart?
15.
Name some of the sights that greatly impress Aeneas and Achates as they look out over the city of
Carthage.
16.
There is a nature simile to describe the citizens of Carthage working. What is it?
17.
What do they see on the temple of Juno? How is their reaction to seeing the temple ironic?
18.
Describe Queen Dido when Aeneas first sees her.
19.
Whom does Aeneas see approach Dido? Does she grant their request?
20.
How does Aeneas react?
21.
What plot does Venus engage Cupid in? To what end?
22.
What request does Dido make at the end of book 1?
Answer the following questions as you read the English of the Aeneid, book 2.
1. Who was the first proponent of taking the horse into the city? Who first opposed the idea?
2.
Who is Laocoön?
3.
Who is Sinon?
4.
What fate befell Palamedes?
5.
Why did Ulysses hate Sinon so much? (according to Sinon’s story)
6.
How did Ulysses use the oracle’s message as an opportunity? (according to Sinon’s story)
7.
How does Sinon’s story play into the Trojans’ image of Ulysses?
8.
What is Priam’s reply to Sinon’s story?
9.
What does Sinon say the horse is?
10.
Whom do the snakes attack and why?
11.
How do the Trojans interpret Laocoön’s downfall?
12.
Who tears down the walls of Troy?
13.
Who appeared to Aeneas right when the Greeks began their assault on the city? What was his
message?
14.
Does Aeneas take up arms because he thinks he can actually turn back the Greek attack, or for
some other reason?
15.
Who is Panthus?
16.
Life lesson from Coroebus: when your girlfriend is talking, try to listen - it’s probably important.
17.
Name one way in which Aeneas displays his budding leadership on the night of Troy’s fall.
(Remember, leadership will become his defining characteristic.)
18.
What happens to Androgeos?
19.
Where does Aeneas’ depleted band of Trojans go after the fight over Cassandra?
20.
What simile does Aeneas use to describe Pyrrhus (Achilles’ son)?
21.
22.
How do Priam’s actions mirror those of Aeneas?
:
To what animals are Hecuba and her daughters compared?
23.
There are thematic echoes in Priam’s speech to Pyrrhus that recall Ilioneus’ speech to Dido near the
end of book 1. This isn’t a question, just something interesting to consider when thinking about the thematic
unity of the Aeneid. Also, Pyrrhus is basically the worst person ever.
24.
What happens to Priam?
25.
What three things appear to Aeneas upon the death of Priam?
26.
What stopped Aeneas from killing Helen
27.
What does Venus reveal to Aeneas, and what does it prove?
28.
Note the similarities between what Venus does for Aeneas near the end of book 2 with what she
does for him near the end of book 1.
29.
After Aeneas and Anchises trade speeches, what does Aeneas want to do?
30.
What wondrous signs brought Anchises and Aeneas new hope?
31.
Where does Aeneas tell everyone to meet?
32.
After everyone has gathered and Creusa is discovered to be missing, what does Aeneas do? How
many times has he done this now?
33.
Aeneas’ desperate attempts to hug his lost wife’s neck are really sad. Notice also that he tries three
times.
34.
Also, don’t worry - Lucifer is a compound of lux, lucis and fero, ferre, tuli, latus, meaning “lightbringer”. It’s what the Romans called the planet Venus at sunrise. At sunset, they called it Hesperus.
35.
Where does Aeneas lead his band of refugees?
Study Questions Aeneid Book IV
There are two sets of questions below. The first are specific questions to help you follow the action of Book IV. The
second are questions for thought that we may discuss in class.
New Key characters:
Dido/Elissa, Queen of Carthage, a Phoenican she fled Tyre to escape her brother Pygmalion after her brother
killed her husband Sychaeus; she had pledged undying loyalty to Sychaeus.
Anna - Dido’s sister
Iärbus - wanted Dido to marry him but was rejected, he prays to Jupiter to send Aeneas on
Mercury - son of Jupiter/Jove, messenger of the gods
Iris - Juno’s messenger
Reading Comprehension Questions
1. How does Dido (Elissa) feel about Aeneas at the beginning of Book IV?

Why does she hesitate?

How does Anna, her sister, encourage Dido’s feelings for Aeneas?

Why does Vergil describe Dido as in a frenzy?
2. What does Juno do in response to Dido’s frenzy?

What bargain does she try to strike with Venus/Cytherea?

What are Juno’s motives?
3. How are Dido and Aeneas described in Mandelbaum translation lines 179 – 212?
4. What happens after the relationship between Dido and Aeneas is consummated? Notice the personification of
Rumor.
5. Iarbus, Dido’s former suitor, prays to Jupiter. What is Jupiter’s response?
6. What is the content of the message that Mercury delivers to Aeneas?

How does Aeneas respond?
7. What is Dido’s reaction to Aeneas’ preparations (lines 396-445)?

What is the content of her speech to him (410-445 and 497-532)?
8. What does Aeneas say in answer to Dido/Elissa?
9. What request does Dido have Anna carry to Aeneas?

What is his reaction?
10. What objects form Dido’s funeral pyre?

How does she deceive her sister Anna?

What is the content of her lament?
11. What moves Aeneas to flee while it is still dark? (Lines 668- 805)
12. What imprecations does Dido call down on Aeneas (lines 814-868, lines 898-913)?

How does this foreshadow the Punic Wars?
13. What is Anna’s reaction to Dido’s suicide?

5.
What is the symbolism of the cutting of the golden lock from Dido’s head?
Why do you think Vergil included Book IV in the overall Aeneid beyond foreshadowing the Punic Wars?
Book VI

What does it contribute to the overall characterization of Aeneas?

What does it contribute to the plot of the epic?
Reading Questions
1. What instructions does the Cumaean Sibyl, Deiphobe, give to Aeneas upon reaching Italy?
2. By what god is Deiphobe possessed?
3. What information does the Sibyl give Aeneas concerning the Trojans’ future? What two things must
Aeneas do before he is allowed to go to the underworld?
4. How does Aeneas find the golden bough?
5. What boatman ferries spirits of the dead across the river to the underworld?
6. Whom do Aeneas and the Sibyl meet, stuck on the river’s shores?
7. In the underworld, how does Aeneas attempt to justify himself to Dido?
8. What is Dido’s reaction?
9. Why is Deiphobus a bloody mess?
10. What is the function of the Lethe river?
11. What does Anchises show Aeneas in the underworld?
12. Which gate do Aeneas and the Sibyl pass through? In your opinion, what is the significance of them
choosing this gate over the other?
Book VIII
Reading Questions
1. Compare the violent nature of Turnus with that of Dido. What is the source of their rage? Who
encourages them?
2. Describe Aeneas’ strange dream. What is the symbolism of the sow and her litter?
3. What god are Evander and his son, Pallas, worshipping when Aeneas reaches Pallanteum?
4. What had this god done for Pallanteum?
5. What city is now located on Pallanteum (side note: Think about Vergil’s Roman audience’s reaction when
reading about the places in olden Pallanteum – like reading about antebellum Nashville!)?
6. What does Vulcan do for Venus? Does this strike you as strange (who is Aeneas’ father?)?
7. Where does Aeneas go next to seek help?
8. Who was the evil king of the Etruscans?
9. Why do the Etruscans choose to ally themselves with Aeneas?
10. What is at the center of Aeneas’ shield? Keeping in mind the political climate of Vergil’s time, why do
you think he chose this particular scene?
Book XII
Reading Questions
1. Whom does Juno enlist to help Turnus fight Aeneas?
2. What does this person convince the Rutulians to do?
3. Describe the omen that the Rutulians see.
4. Why does Amata hang herself?
5. What is the result of Juno and Jupiter’s conversation?
6. What does Aeneas see on Turnus that sparks his rage?